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Psionics
In the world of the RP world, Psionics represent a series of abilities similar to, but altogether seperate from, Magic, for whilst magic focuses on harnessing the powers of the world, Psionics tend to focus inward. Whereas there are multiple forms of magic that draw energy from a variety of sources - from the self, from faith in belief, or through study and research - Psionics are powers of the mind, and manifested entirely by mental discipline, though as is the case for Magic, there are multiple different methodologies for invoking psionic potential. Whereas Magic tends to be hotly-debated and constantly analyzed, Psionics are comparatively well-understood. They are a more scientific approach to such abilities than are seen in the likes of magic, more easily categorized, and generally better-classified by the world writ large, though they are much less common. The Nature of Psionics Unlike magic, which tends to draw upon internal reserves of energy or manifest with the aid of outside sources, Psionics in general pull directly from the self and from one's own will. As such, Psionics tend to fluctuate in strength much more than magic, and are saddled with few of their drawbacks - Psionic effects often have relatively short usage times and can be quite effective on and off the battlefield. More critically, a Psionic character does not have to draw upon a limited pool of their own energy or outside assistance to manifest a psionic power. However, what a Psion gains in sustainability, they lose in other areas. Psionic abilities are draining - both physically and mentally - to employ. A Psionic character can only draw on so much of their own powers at a time before needing rest, and overextending one's abilities can cause significant physical and mental trauma to the user. Because Psionics manifest the power of the mind, they are also much more subjectable to variance in effect than magic - slight changes to a Psychic's mental state can cause their abilities to react in kind. Magic/Psionics Transparency Despite manifesting much different energies, magic and psionic energy often interact fairly directly with one another - a magical dispelling effect might very well have a chance to diffuse psionic energy as well, though it will often do so at reduced effect. Spells may trigger effects specifically intended for psionics, and vice versa. The one major thing of note is that Psionics and Magic can be blocked by different things. Psionic individuals are not affected by the AM Substance and cannot be restrained with Suppression Collars, but they can be effected by Derangement Speakers and ultrasonic effects. Manifesting Methodologies A number of different means of triggering psionic potential exist. Though there is some overlap, and different psychics can often use the same abilities (albeit differently depending on the user), the radically different means of engaging psionic potential means that in practice, the powers manifested by different psychics can be wildly different. Unlike magic, these methodologies are fundamentally incompatible with one another; there may be techniques and abilities usable between them, but at their core, the differences between the various manifestation methods determine, by and large, how a given Psychic works and what their abilities are. The most common psionic manifestation methodologies are listed below: Discipline-Based Psionics based from this method are drawn upon through mental discipline and technique. The tactics used to engage such abilities are often analogous to those favored by martial arts or monastic orders from Jang in that they focus heavily on trying to avoid losing rationality to emotion and focus to maintain a logical outlook. This methodology is more common with races that have psionic potential, but often relatively weakly, as such meditation and introspection tends to strengthen their abilities over time. The general advantage of such a manifestation method is that their powers tend to be more consistent, and a psionic character who chooses this route to focus their abilities will find themselves with a larger arsenal of powers, but they will often be weaker than those of other disciplines. Emotion-Based The primary psionic trigger of the Viera, this method of manifesting psionic potential involves, rather than trying to keep one's emotions at arm's length, embracing them wholly and throwing one into the very throes of one's own feelings. It's believed that one reason that the northern Viera tribes gradually developed psionic potential was as a natural defense to keep their race's otherwise intense emotional turmoil at bay. Traditionally, anger is the most common psychic trigger for this manifestation method, but according to practitioners of it, any strongly-felt emotion can be used to trigger such a surge, from joy and love to sorrow. The main advantage of this methodology is that Emotion-based manifestation allows for much more powerful psionic manifestations than normal. By throwing oneself into a particularly pitched emotional state (such as a state of panic or rage), a psionic individual manifesting powers in this fashion can accomplish notably stronger effects. The downside of this is that Emotion-based manifestation is a two-way street. They can quickly become weaker if the manifester becomes depressed or anxious, and weakened considerably if they somehow have their emotions blocked. Additionally, focusing on using one's emotional state tends to leave a manifester with less time to actually learn and use powers, so as a rule they tend to have much smaller arsenals of available abilities.